


Magick Moste Evile

by Malkaiser



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Curses, Dark Magic, Fiendfyre, Gen, Hogwarts Library, Slow To Update, Unforgivable Curses (Harry Potter)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-06
Updated: 2019-06-06
Packaged: 2020-03-19 18:15:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 2,959
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18975676
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Malkaiser/pseuds/Malkaiser
Summary: Written by the Dark wizard Godelot in the 14th century, few have read this book. A copy of it was kept in the Restricted Section of the Hogwarts Library, charmed to escape the notice of prying eyes, Yet in the summer of 1943, the fifth year Tom Marvolo Riddle, known to his closest companions as Lord Voldemort, stumbled upon the book when he stole into the Restricted Section one night. Thus began his descent into the depths of Magick Moste Evile.





	1. A Chance Discovery

The three strikes of the Clock Tower's bell revealed it to be three hours past midnight. Curfew had begun four hours ago, and even the prefects’ prowling duties had long since ended. Yet not all were asleep in Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

The doors to the Hogwarts Library slowly creaked open, allowing a sliver of light to illuminate the absent Madam Arella Pince’s desk. A mass of what appeared to be distorted air rippled through space and settled near the southern wall of the library, before a murmured “ _Finite.”_ released the Disillusionment Charm, revealing the intruder: a devastatingly handsome black-haired young man clad in black robes, a green-and-silver badge with a silver ‘P’ in the middle pinned to his chest. Though not an infrequent visitor to the Library, Tom's visit on this night was special. Tonight, he had come to ... _acquire_... books.

Walking swiftly yet silently (courtesy of a Cushioning charm applied to his boots), Tom made his way toward the iron-wrought gates that blocked unauthorised entry to the Restricted Section. His lips curled into a smirk: did they really think that such elementary protections could hinder Lord Voldemort? Raising his wand, he intoned: “ _Aegides prodite.”_ Tendrils of softly glowing blue magic seeped forth from the gates; then, with a jab of his wand and a nonverbal “ _Expelle”_ , the wards and alarms guarding the gates were transferred to a nearby wooden chair; with a final S-shaped flick and an “ _Alohomora_ ”, the iron gates swung open.

Lowering his wand, Tom let go of a breath he hadn’t known he’d been holding. He had entered the Restricted Section many times before, though always with supervision. This time, though, he was free to explore.

* * *

 

An hour-and-a-half’s ceaseless searching later, Tom was exasperated. The books here, though rare, were undeserving of the appellation “Restricted”. Oh, sure, there were fairly many volumes on the Dark Arts, but those were sandwiched between scores of books on other subjects the Professors felt would not be appropriate for young minds for various reasons: sex (the prudishness that came with old age), see-through charms (the potential for misuse), rare potions (disastrous if brewed incorrectly), and so on. What books there were on the Dark Arts were mostly rather rudimentary; written by academics, not warlocks: the Darkest spell most contained were the Unforgivables. Tom had mastered those in his third year. Not all, though, were completely useless. He had gained valuable insight into Inferi creation from a tome bound in what appeared to be the facial skin of some unfortunate soul.

Just as he was about to turn back and retire for the night, he felt a faint, momentary tickle at the back of his mind, a telltale sign of magical protection. He closed his eyes and concentrated on the feeling - yes, there it was again. A Notice-Me-Not charm, to let Darker books escape the notice of nosy students, or cast by some insightful kindred spirit to protect the books from overzealous Headmasters? It didn’t matter. He jabbed his want and cast. “ _Finite.”_ The charm broke, revealing the presence of a tattered manuscript, unmarked and unbounded. It appeared to be handwritten. “Lumos,” he muttered, and, taking the book from the shelves, he read aloud:

" _Magick Moste Evile_ , a Delvende into þe Arts comunliche called Derke, bī Godelot, an anwenden from þe fyrst fuþorc bī Erbhart, for ever his feithful Sone."

Middle English, and in Anglo-Saxon runes besides. Damn. Having expected books on the Dark Arts to be written in the language of Medieval Latin, he had brought only a copy of Lucius Septimius' _Lexicon Latinum Mundanum & Magicum_. Some searching was required.

A short fifteen minutes' trip to the British Literature section found him The Middle English Compendium: a Guide for Poets. It was, unfortunately, written in the 17th century, in what Muggle linguists termed Early Modern English. He'd have to make do for the moment. Now sufficiently equipped, he opened both books, and, with quill and parchment in hand, he started translating.

 _Magick Moste Evile_ , an Exploration into the Arts commonly call'd Dark, by Godelot, and transcribed from the original Futhorc by Erbhart, forever his faythful Son.

* * *

 

Tom stilled, hardly daring to believe his eyes. _Godelot_? The 14th century Dark wizard who had terrorised southern England? Rumoured possessor of the fabled Wand of Destiny? He checked the Compendium again, but there was no mistake.

A manic grin suddenly split his face, an unholy light dancing in his eyes. Black ink dripped from his quill, still poised over the parchment, and formed dark blobs on its surface.

It seemed not all the books in the Restricted Section were quite so facile after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some notes on language: as Tom is ostensibly translating from Middle English into Early Modern English, I have tried to write the following chapters in the language of Shakespeare, and use Anglo-Saxon-derived words instead of their Latin- or French-derived counterparts. However, 1) I'm neither an Anglo-Saxon linguist nor a scholar of Shakespeare's works 2) spelling wasn't consistent in Early Modern English, and 3) it just looks plain weird to write "howeuer", "themſelves", or "ye Booke". Thus, I've taken some liberties with orthography and language.  
> Explicit inspirations for the origin and incantations of spells shall be included in the ending notes of subsequent chapters. However, I may not always be fully conscious of where exactly I derive my ideas from. If anyone spots any similarities with other works, please let me know.  
> Also, I've finally gotten around to posting my first ever fanfic. Yay! This fic may be rather slow to update as I do not have as much free time as I would like. Please forgive me for any errors (of language, lore, or others), and give feedback. Thanks!


	2. Testament of Erbhart, son of Godelot

FIRST, know that thou hast open'd a booke of moste eldritche Lore, Initiate, and marke min Warning: ye who so choose to practice the Dark Arts shall forever be unable to escape its suffocating grasp. Gutless cretins, turn back forthwith. Thou hath been warned.

* * *

I have never been one to use the Dark Arts. My magickal skill, though reasonable, are nowhere near as great as min father's, or the thousands upon thousands of other great Dark Wizards of note . Yet, through circumstance and twists of fate, I have become the writer of one of the Darkest works ever to grace the mortal plane.

Min father, Godelot, ruled all Wizarding Mercia as Lord and Conqueror sixteen years ago. A bloodthirsty, vicious man by Nature, he was nonetheless a capable parent, and tutored me in magick, lettering, politicking and the wayes of the worlde. Of his magickal acumen, he hadde this to saye: “Though I be naturally gifted in the Wayes of the Wande, min power be greatly enhanced by min moste wicked and subtle Friend, with Bodie of Elhorne, who knoweth Wayes of Magick Moste Evile.” ‘Tis these words of compliment to his Aide which lende themselves to the title of this Worke.

His magickal acumen proved to be of little use, however, when Hereward, min mediocre yet moste crafty and jealous brother, locked in him the wine cellar and left him to starve to his death, for to acquire the source of his Power  This very text is all I have left of min father. His wealth, earned through righteous conquest, was squandered on whores and gambling. Our abode in Mould-on-the-Wold was burnt down along with the rest of a village in a drunken stupour, and the source of his great magickal talent vanish'd without a trace when Hereward’s corpse, drain’d of blood, appear’d on a dark and dreary night in the middle of Hogsmeade.

Min father writ many notes on the Dark Arts as insurance in the event of his death. After all, he was a wizard who madest the Thames run red with the bloode of his victims, and his many enemies ranged from those who coveted his Power to those who wished vengeance for slain comrades. Shou'd he hath died before our coming of age, these notes would hath been our instructor, our guide, to the Arts fraught with nuance and danger.

Fortuitously, min father's distrust of others, including his own eldest son, ensured that the notes were kept safely hidden. When Hereward lit Mould-on-the-Wold ablaze, leaving nothing but ash, a gap in the flames indicated the presence of an invisible object, seven inches wide and perfectly cubickal. Careful removal of the Invisibility Enchantment revealed the object to be a strongbox containing min father's notes on the Dark Arts. I therefore collected and arranged these notes in order to produce this booke.

It is thusly in memory of min father that I present it to thee, a Booke which serveth as the hitherto moste complete reference on the wayes of Magick Moste Evile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Min - (archaic) my  
> Mercia - a historical term denoting Southern England.  
> Mould-on-the-Would - the original home of the Dumbledore family before they moved to Godric's Hollow.  
> Godelot's quote originated from Albus Dumbledore's commentaries on the Tale of the Three Brothers in the print edition of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.  
> Inspirations include Simon's Necronomicon and the works of H. P. Lovecraft, especially his frequent use of such words as "eldritch" and "blasphemous".  
> Note: Medieval England was a very religious place, and we have seen plenty of evidence in the Harry Potter books that suggests that many British wizards are Christian as well. Cf. Kendra Dumbledore's tombstone, James and Lily Potter's grave, the Fat Friar, etc. Personally, I'm not religious, but I would imagine that Godelot and his son Erbhart are.


	3. On the Nature of this Text

The Dark Arts art many and myriad, ever-evolving, yet eternal. To fight them is to fight the Lernaean Hydra, whose numerous heads, when cleft in twain, sprout twice their number, each spawned head fiercer and cleverer than its progenitour. Yet the Dark Arts are periculous not merely to those who would fight Them but also to those who would practice Them. Many a fledgling Dark Wizard hath been killed through misfortune, hubris, or sheer ineptitude. Tales abound of Dark Wizards falling prey to their own creations, consumm'd by Fiendfyre that they themselves have call'd into being, or, most horrifick of all, having their Sowles, the Essence of their very Being, torn asunder and devour’d by Dementors, those moste blasphemous creatures. Thus, those who would plumb its depths must err on the side of caution, otherwise, self-Destruction is all but assured. This inherent risk is the price of power. Make no mistake, however; the Dark Arts are supremely powerful. With them, one can call forth the very Fires of Hell to immolate one's enemies, suffocate them in a maelstrom of Darkness, or shatter their minds into a thousande fragments. 'Tis knowledge of these anchient magicks, and more, whiche we shall impart.

It would do us good at this point to answer: what art the Dark Arts? Alas, such a question has no clear resolution: the writings of such wizards and witches as Lucretia Agrippina, Johannes of Kleves and Brandr the Unhonoured, whiche all deal in this matter, all either leave out or include too much. By Johannes’ reckoning, for example, the Tickling Charm would be considered Dark for its ability to cause suffocation _through naught but its own application_ , whereas Brandr’s reasoning suggests that the Imperius Curse would not be a Dark spell _for it does not cause injury in and of itself_. We shall not be so arrogant as to say that what scores of wizards and witches hitherto could not do, we can. Thusly, we shall be working at once with all and none of them. Our definition, hence, is succinct: “That is Dark whiche we saye is Dark, that is Not whiche we saye is Not." The debate of what is meant by "Dark Magick", whiche has go on for a thousande years, shall in all likelihood be doomed to last a thousande more. We shall have to make do with our definition for now.

Wheresoever possible, we shall attempt to give an account of the history of the subject matter at hand. Yet the Dark Arts are, it is plain to see from the name, dark; its users are oft-hidden from prying eyes, and makers of such spells rarely put quill to parchment record their findings. Thus, small gaps of incompleteness abound in this work.

At this point, the Initiate is quite possibly frustrated at the inexactness it all. One does not usually encounter this ambiguity in other branches of powerful magicks, such as Transfiguration, Potions or Charms (an exception exists in the Most High Art of Alchemy). The Initiate must become used to this before long, however, for such is the nature of the Dark Arts.

The Initiate must practice these magicks in seclusion. The common folk do not take kindly to such actions as defiling corpses, arson, and mass murder. Hence, the Initiate must secure a location, well-hidden, in which he can safely practise magick. Various methods may prove useful in warding such a location: Disillusionment, Silencing Charms, Concealment Charms, Muggle-Repelling Charms, the list goes on. The Initiate is free to exercise creativity in this matter.

There is one last thing the Initiate must note before we embark upon our journey: one subject shall be excised completely from our discussion, save for this brief statement. On the Subject of the Horcrux, wickedest of all magickal inventions, and in the main, Magicks of the Sowle, we shall not speak of or give Direction, for to undertake such a Fowle Act against thyself is surely folly of the greatest measure. To those seeking instruction in that matter: Almighty, hath Mercy upon ye.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "The Dark Arts art many and myriad, ever-evolving, yet eternal ... " - Paraphrase of Snape's DADA Lesson introduction in HBP.  
> The definition of the Dark Arts - This one is a doozy. Many in the Fandom have tried to come up with a suitable definition of the Dark Arts. Unfortunately, none of them really capture its essence. See the HPFanfiction or the HarryPotter subreddits for more info.  
> "On the Subject of the Horcrux..." - The only text on Horcruxes (Horcroi?) in Hogwarts is Secrets of the Darkest Arts.


	4. Destruction given Forme: FIENDFYRE, the daemoniac Inferno

" _Great magickal creatures of moste malignant fire sprang forth from the tip of his Wande, mutating so rapidly that the chimaera that open'd its maw to consume its summoner turned a second later into a Basilisk that embraced him. The fire lasted for forty days and nights, ending only when there was nothing, not even ash, for the flames to subsist on. The creatures then turned on each other, fighting viciously ‘til they destroy’d themselves and all that was left of the once proud city was a five-mile-long, oddly shaped, black scar on the surface of the earth_."

-Fasil ibn al-Zali, who survived the Sixth and Final Burning of Carthage in the twelve hundred and sixty third year of our Lord

 

The Flames of the Fiend need no introduction; any half-wit of middling magickal power can conjure them. For completeness, however, the Invocations shall be shewn hence:

* * *

 

**THE BEASTS OF MOSTE MALEVOLENT FLAME**

FIRST, thou shalt trace the pattern inscribed below with thy wand, invoking the formula: “ **APOLLYON** , _haiire_   **EMEGE** _, haiire_ **ECHTHROI** _mou,_   _haiire_   **SE**.” The words must be spoken carefully with stress as indicated, or death swiftly follows.

SECOND, thou, having inscribed the sigil, must push thy Will and thy Magick into and through the Rune, for the Rune is the gateway through which the metaphysickal concept of Destruction shall take Form.

THIRD, thou shalt thrust thy wand through the Rune as though stabbing with a blade. The Rune shou’d give rise to twain Beasts of Living Fire. Thou hast summon'd Fiendfyre.

FOURTH, having summon'd Fiendfyre, thou canst induce the Beasts to multiply by simply flicking thy wand in whatsoever direction thou wishest.

* * *

 

When so summon’d, Fiendfyre seeketh out latent magick in its surroundings for to devour and subsist upon it. The Beasts wherefore manifest as magickal creatures: dragons, chimaeras, basilisks, phoenices, and the like. Fiendfyre will persist, unable to be parted, charm’d, vanish’d, or transfigur’d, ‘til all in its vicinity hath been drain’d dry of magick, at whiche point the savage Beasts, starv’d of magick, shall turn upon the only source of magick available: each other. It is this persistence whiche maketh he who useth Fiendfyre a moste dangerous foe.

Without _mastery_ of the flames, however, the summoning of Fiendfyre is a fool’s errand, one as likely to cause the death of the Summoner as his foe. To tame Fiendfyre is to battle the hunger of Fire given Life; only one who is possessing of unbreakable Will and clarity of mind shall rule the flames. There do, however, also exist various lesser summons, whiche allow one to test and hone his strength, and judge if he is capable of commanding Fiendfyre. Most fortuitously, pitting thyself against the summoned Beasts in a contest of Will is not of singular purpose: it proves useful in defending against psychickal attack, of whiche we shall expound upon later.

* * *

 

Fiendfyre is the only spell of Bestial Destruction possessing of arithmantick stability. Though there be two other littler known spells of Bestial Destruction, in accordance with the Three Higher Essences (ravenous Fire, torrentuous Water, tempestuous Air), they are of little martial use, for the summoned Beasts quickly turn on one another; mastery over them merely protects the summoner from magickal backlash when they annihilate. They do, however, possess great value in that they are the aforementioned lesser Summons whiche aideth in the mastery of Fiendfyre.

The Invocations for Summoning the Beasts of Water and Air are simpler than those for Fiendfyre and are so follows:

* * *

 

**THE BEASTS OF WATER**

FIRST, thou shalt trace the pattern inscribed below, invoking the formula: " **OGENON** , _haiire_   **EMEGE** , _haiire_   **ECHTHROI** _mou_ , _haiire_   **SE**." The words must be spoken carefully with stress as indicated, or death swiftly follows.

SECOND, thou, having drawn the sigil, shall thrust thy wand forward, as though stabbing with a blade, then immediately flourish skywards. Twain ropes of Water shou’d surge out of thy wand and coalesce to form the Beasts.

THIRD, thou, having summoned the Beasts of Water, must banish them forthwith, for their temperamental nature will cause them to turn on thee. Holding thy wand still, thou shalt, through naught but Will, command the Beasts to end themselves. This endeth the spell and prevents magickal reckoning from harming thee.

* * *

**THE BEASTS OF AIR**

FIRST, thou shalt trace the pattern inscribed below, invoking the formula: " **ORANON** , _haiire_ **EMEGE** , _haiire_   **ECHTHROI** _mou_ , _haiire_   **SE**." The words must be spoken carefully with stress as indicated, or death swiftly follows.

SECOND, thou, having drawn the sigl, shall thrust thy wand forward, as though stabbing with a blade, then flourish it skyward. Gusts of Turbulent Air shou’d gush from thy wand and twist into vortices, form the Beasts.

THIRD, thou, having summoned the Beasts of Air, must, as with the Beasts of Water, banish them forthwith. Holding thy wand still, thou shalt, through naught but Will, command the Beasts to end themselves. This endeth the spell and prevents magickal reckoning from harming thee.

* * *

The summoning of Fiendfyre has been recorded since Antiquity; it is saide that Herpo the Fowle would use it as Andros the Invincible would use his Patronus. Whilst commonly thought of as a spell of last resort (the proclivity for causing immense collateral damage), Fiendfyre can, in the hands of a Master, be scrupulous as a surgeon's scalpel. Old Irish myths spoke of Fianna, whose skill with Fiendfyre was so great she came to be known as Medusa for her ability to summon miniature basilisks of living fire that would settle in her hair, woven like threads, without burning her to less than cinders.

A devastating spell whiche frighteneth all but the moste skilled of wizards, Fiendfyre is perhaps the moste potent spell in the Dark Wizard's arsenal. There is, however, one caveat: it is almost impossible for one to maintain the clarity of mind to command Fiendfyre in the midst of a duel. Thus, in battle, Fiendfyre shou'd be used as either _impetus primum_ or _impetus finalis_ , the opening attack or the final blow, to maximise its destructive potential.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "APOLLYON/OGENON/ORANON, haiire EMEGE, haiire ECHTHROI mou, haiire SE." - Abaddon/Oceanus/Heavens, take me as payment and kill my enemies. in VERY butchered Ancient Greek.  
> "Psychickal attack" - Legilimency


End file.
